What would you do with an extra $278,300,000 ?

I broke down this morning and bought a powerball ticket. The $425 Million was sorta hard to pass up, granted after taxes and everything your take home is only ~$278,300,000. Hah, "only".

Anyway, I started chatting with my co-worker who mentioned his parents called him this morning and asked him to buy a ticket for them. We got into the discussion of what would you do if you won.

I would pay off my house/car. Give some to my mother to make her comfortable. Set up a trust of sorts for my brother so he doesn't get one lump sum which he would probably spend too quickly. Then work on investing the rest so my wife an I could live off the interest comfortably for the next long while.

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actually, i'd get about 100,000 in $1 bills, throw them on the floor and then just roll around. i'd also probably have to, at least for one day, hire somebody to light my cigars for me. you know, to boost the economy and such.

finally, i'd pay my backyard neighbor to tear down his eye sore of a shed that has half its roof ripped off and buy him a new one.

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actually, i'd get about 100,000 in $1 bills, throw them on the floor and then just roll around. i'd also probably have to, at least for one day, hire somebody to light my cigars for me. you know, to boost the economy and such.

finally, i'd pay my backyard neighbor to tear down his eye sore of a shed that has half its roof ripped off and buy him a new one.

That "cash value" is not post-tax, it means what you'd get if you took it in a current lump sum, as opposed to an annuity that is spread out over a number of years and is worth the reported "total value." The current value is both because they can pay you less because you're greedy now, but also discounting to present value (by adjusting for inflation and interest).

I'd do something similar to you, although I'd probably buy property somewhere I'd want to live too.

I would like to think after tithing, and paying off debts I would invest enough to make it last. Then start a few small businesses, make all my friends and family millionaires (depending on there age trusts, gifts, investments in there businesses), probably go get a few PhDs, invest in real-estate, give a ton to habitat for humanity, church organizations, and the wounded warrior foundation. Maybe start a few non profits or invest in some that bring power and technology for better living to third world countries, that create NPO's that create Jobs to boost the economy and give free training to people that contract for 1year+ so they can move up in life. If I have any left start traveling after I have enough smart trust worthy people managing my money/businesses.

Lock it into a trust so I could only access a little bit of it at a time. Not only does this prevent going through it too fast, it also prevents people from coming with their hands out since there would be no money to give them. That way, it would last for many many years and possibly generations.

I would go to a less fortunate area of the US. I would start up a company called "Work." This company would hire about 1,000 employees, pay them $10/hr full time with benefits, and only require them to show up 8 hours a day and surf the internet in their own personal cube. There would be food provided as well as free daycare and transportation. I would keep this company running until I'm out of money, or the economy comes back around and my employees can find better jobs. I would invest $5M to my retirement and continue working like normal.

Create a trust. Quit my job. Pay off all my debts and all of my close family's debts ie. if you didn't live in my house at some point of my life-you are out of luck. Pay off DH's immediate family's debt. Put all the nieces and nephews through college. Throw one heck of a party. Buy an island and a sailboat. Upgrade my favorite aunt's house so she and my mom can live together and annoy the heck out of each other to their heart's desires. And get them the staff that they want to help take care of the house and each other. Go to Toys-R-Us with the local MCROTC and buy EVERYTHING and then hand it all out to the kids in the area who's homes were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Hire a posse, because well, it'd annoy my kids to hear me say that I have a posse.

I'd run and hide! Get away from all the greedy crazies that would be coming out of the woodwork claiming to be a friend or family. I'd change my name. Then I'd use the money anonymously, probably through a foundation with a nondescript name, to fund scholarships, social programs, ministries, and non-profits that I believe in, as well as, move back to Bolivia and do the same thing there.

However, it will never happen because I refuse to throw away my money on a lottery ticket.

First I'd have to split it eight ways with people I play with. Then I'd do nothing that great. New appliances, my wife would swap out her car for some kind of AWD crossover vehicle, I'd keep my truck just the way it is because I like it. I'd retire. Get a new computer. Maybe sit down and write with all of my free time.

Pay my bills and the bills of my immediate family. Buy/build new homes for me, then my parents and one for the in-laws. Invest most of the rest and live off the interest. Of course, I'd immediately quit my job, finish up my premed coursework, then finish med school... Hook up with an organization like Doctors Without Borders and volunteer instead of working.

1) Work for about another year, my entire paycheck would go to 401(k), IRA and kids' college funds up to the max
1a) Actually I take that back, I'd do my job really, really half assed until they told me to stop coming in.
2) I'd pay off my student loan with a big fat check, with a photocopy of my middle finger along for the ride for making me pay 7.0% interest all these years
3) Pay off all debts
4) Call American Express and say I want the Black Card because I'm about to wear that sucker out
5) Pay off my house, completely gut it and rebuilt it to my specs (we like the house and the neighborhood)
5) I'd hire a personal trainer and personal chef to get me into the best shape of my life
6) Pretty much hit the greatest vacation places on Earth and see everything I can in an entire lifetime.
7) Donate money to the Phoenix Zoo for new Lion/Tiger exhibits, they are in sad shape

I'd buy an island, fishing stuff, medical supplies, building materials, drums of gas, generator, tools, solar power, clothes, every video game known to man, every great movie, every great music album, the largest TV known to man, the loudest stereo known to man. Build a house, underground bunker, garden/farm. No one would ever see or hear from me again. I'd be the happiest man on the face of the planet. I guess I'd let my wife and daughter come if they really wanted.

I'd say quit my job, but I think I'd stick around and be jerk until they told me to go away and not come back first.

Then, I'd pay off my moms house for her, and move myself out! To my own large house and then probably adopt too many pets from rescues. I'd hire people to come love them all up, and help take care of them, great pay and benefits to spend most of their day playing with animals :)

I'd avoid the people coming to me for handouts that weren't there for me in my 'worst of times', and help out the family and friends that were always there for me, no matter what.

Then, I'd travel, a lot. I love to travel. Maybe eventually just buy a nice house on the beach somewhere, and take myself and my pets there.

I to would buy an island, somewhere cold where most would not bother to venture! Maybe import some penguins to keep as pets, buy an ISP company that only I could use... Pay my family enough to forget about me, buy cats... lots of cats maybe buy some people to care for said cats while I was at it...I would not do those smart things like invest for the future, don't plan to live a long time anyways! Best to make the best of the time I have ya know?

I'd buy cheap, but livable investment properties (through Homepath/Homepath Renovation). Definitely would not pay for them in full, with 3.5% mortgage rates I'd make a killing. Start a small company and have my brother invest the rest for me.

I would run the government for 38.5 minutes. Yep, the govt spends $434 million an hour.
Or I would pay the interest on the national debt accumulated in 6 hours and 47 minutes. Yep, we pay $360 billion in interest per year.

1.) Change all of our telephone numbers.
2.) All of the boring stuff like paying off bills for all family members.
3.) Set up a foundation to support local non-profit organizations, especially those supporting families dealing with special needs and animal welfare organizations.
4.) Buy or build a building (I've got some drafted floor plans) that will house the family organizations, providing them with office space and meeting rooms of various sizes.

Of course, I have a few favorite groups to which I would have to make donations. If you have never worked with a non-profit you might not realize that the vast majority of grants and donations they receive cover specific projects and rarely pay for day to day operations or administrative expenses. It would be nice to provide some money to take those headaches away for the groups I love. Not very "sexy," but practical.

There was a guy who tried to sell me some ocean house for cheap at about $20 millions.
I think he really mistook me for some celebrity. I was a poor college student with a $10 tshirt (you know where I got the shirt) So, yeah, if I had that extra $$$, I would take care of my family and buy couples of his cheap houses...

I'd buy a house. Invest a lot for the future. Then I would buy a farm or two and have a couple of animal sanctuaries. At least one for dogs and cats and another for more exotic animals that have been abandoned or need to retire. And maybe a program for discounted animal care for the public. And I'd travel.

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